Bee feeder



LEW1IS H. CHENBACIEI, O}? EOTTSVILLE, ?EN1\TSYLVANIA.

um: Eli-EDER.

Applicacion fi1ed February 13, 1.922. Serial 1i\'o. 536,149.

T 0 all wh0m c't may cmwcm:

Be it known that 1, LEW1S 1-1. A.CHENBACH, resicling at Pottsville, county of Schuylkill, und State 01" Pennsylvania, a citizen o1 the Unitecl Stabes, have inventecl certain new und useful Improvements in Bee Feeclers, cf which the following is a specification.

My invention rela;tes t0 bee feeclefs ancl in particular to entrance feeclers cf the type in Which an invertecl'j a1 containing the syrup is employecl, the quantity 01 Syrup fed out be ing regulated by thc sealing und unsealing by the level of the syrup at the outlet, ancl my cbject is to provicle a feecler which is aclaptable 150 be conclicions r-equirecl at all seasons 01 the year when feecling is necessary und which W111 have othe-r clesirable quallties such, 101 example, as facilityof manipulation in aclapting it to the hive in view cf Ehe concliticns obtaining at ehe seeson when feecling is to be clone, ancl which Wlll be inexpensive ancl W111 be free from clanger cf harm 01 injury to the bees. My invention consists in Ehe feecler conscructecl as clefined by 0r embracecl within Ehe meaning of the claims which follow this specification.

In the annexecl clmwing which form part cf this specification,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showingj my feecler when arrangecl f01 use unclerconclitions ofweather in, f0r example, the late fall;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof,

Fig. 8 is a perspecoive view cf a shorter tray than that shown in Figs. 1 ancl 2 und. which '1s most suitable tobe usecl 011 the Winter case 011 warm days in winter, ancl on hive in the spring, summer, anal ezuly fall.

Fig. 4: is a vertical section thereof with the bas e block.

Briefly describecl, my invention comprises zu base in the form 0f an oblong block which is appliecl to or supportecl 130 the freut cf the hive anal has an opening into which is insertecl the lower open end cf a liquid con- 132L1I181S11011 as the familiar Mason preserving ja1, anal a sheei mecal tray that forms 01' provicles a well 01' receptacle t0 contain a limited quantity cf syrup zub a, filme accessible only uo the bees Within the hive, the base block having a chamber on its undersicle into which extencls a portion of the tmy, 01 receives the tray, means, such as a screw CSLP, being proviclecl to partially close the lowerencl 01 mouth 0:f the inverted jar an :l firmly support lt in position OVG1 he hole in the base block.

Referring 110W with some detail 130 what is shown in thedrawings, 10, designatesthe oblong base block made 01 WOOC1 which, substzmtially at the center, has a circular hole, 11, which opens intc c space 01 chamber in the unclersicle cf the block icrrnecl by parallel sicle flanges, 12, anal a flange, 13, als 0ne encl, the rouncl hole, 11, being cf a diameter 1"0r the snug ficting cf a metal screw cap, 1 1, into which the threadecl open end cf the ja1, 15, is screwecl. The cap, 14, a its center,

has an opening, 16, from which a short secti011 cf p1pe o1 tubing, 17, projects downwarcl im'zo "ehe block chmnber ancl int0 the sheet metal tmy, 18, but terminatihg that clistance abcve ehe bottcm 01 the tmy ab which it is desirecl to maintain the level of ehe syrup in the tray, syrup ccasing to flow from the j2u, 15, when ii's level in the tmy closes the lcwer encl 0f che tube or.nozzle, 17. By placing washers, 19, in appropriate n'umber, (which washers may be the custcmmy packing rings of the preserving jar), between the tcp cf the base, 10, and the flan e, 20, 011 the cap, 11, the distance which ehe nozzle, 17, extends i1'1t0 ehe tray may be mriecl' und thereby the level cf the symp in the amy be fixecl. The botcom 01 the tray, 18, has rlirectly belowufihe nozzle, 17, a circular depression, E21, which forms a dish or well. A. coil spring, 22, attachecl at one end o f the nozzle, 17. extends 10 the boctom cf thc tray, its coils heing sulficiently close together 110 prevent bees getting ini;othe nozzle cf the er und being injurecl by the .eyrruptherein, the spaces becween the cci's, 0:1? course, allcwing the free fl0w 0if the syrup.

The tmy, 18, shown in 1 und 2 has a length t0 reach through the hive ancl hence a great many bees ab a time muy fee l therefrom, so that, fo1 example, a colony can empey a, two qua1t jar in a few h0u1s. A wooclen rack 01" frame, 28, formed cf a, pair o1- longivfiuclina1 ancl several cress bars is placecl in the gortion 01 +he tray within the hive so form 21 perch 01' supporc fcr hees in taking the syrup from the tmy, the syrup in the tmy, 01 c0u1se, 11011 belng sufi'iciently cleep to submerge the m0; whose upper slcle is thus available for the purpose sttecl.

The tray, 21, shown in 8, is suitable f01 spring, Summer, ancl early fall feecling ancl f01 Winter case feecling 011 warm days,

the tray, 24, haVing lei1gfih only the SPLII1G is cf greater clepth than the well ofthc larger tray because having the tmy open atone encl the lcvel of the syrup in the tray, 24, must notextend above thc well, 25, for it woulcl fl0w out ofthe open cncl cf t he tray. VVhen using tlie tmy, 24, a cap similar in all respects the cap 14 showu in Fig. 2 is usecl, but its nozzle is longer 'so that the bottom cf thenozzle may at all times be not higher than the top of tl1e well, 25. At,the outer encl of the tray, 24, it h'as pivotecl to it by eyes, 26, a loop 01 bail, 27, of wire Which is aclaptecl t0 be turnecl up against the front of the Winter case und cai1ght over hooks attachecl theretoso as 150 aicl in sup.porting the feecler whose forwarcl encl o1 its encl ncxt the Winter case msy be supportecl eitherby resting upon a Sl10rt block tackecl 01' nailecl to the frontol the l1ive below the entrance openin'gs of a W111- ter case, 01 by means olf a =rocl, 28, at euch side of the tray slid=ably"supportecl in a tube, 29, 011 each sicle und which m2y be projectecl through the sl0t 0lt' the removabh3 entmnc stick With which hives are customarily pro videcl, it being thus unnecessary to remcve the entrance stick fo1 feeding.

To'safcguarclthe bees from colcl when using ehe tmy, 24, its sur face over w'hich they Walk 150 tl1e well, 25, may be cover-ecl witlv. a sheet 26 of asbestos or heat insulating material, am opening being providecl in thc sheetof the size of the well, 25. y

It Will be unclerstoocl that, the pac'king washeror washers, 19, make an air tight joint und thut one is applietl to the ncck 015 the jar belore the cap 01 top is screwecl 011.

l Vlmt- I claim is: l. A bee feecler comprising a base block lmving a hole for the reception of EL liquid container anal a removable tray' i.;rito Whicl'l a nozzle from the contzuncr extcncls.

2. A bee feecler compr1smg a bnse block having a hole i'0r the reception of a liquid containcr ancl 2i removable tray into whicl1 a, nozzlc from the container extencls, 'the tmy having a Well below the nozzle.

3. A bee feecler comprising a base block having a hole forthe reception cf a liquid container, a removable tmy into Wl1ich a nozzle from the container extencls, und a guarcl at the nozzle that prevents bees entering the nozzle.

4. A. -lo ee fe eder comprising a base block having a chamberecl unclersicle which ope-ns int-o tl1e hive at one encl ancl the block hav ing an opening 1":rom its top infbo such chember, a cap W1bhln such opcnmg hwing a nozzle terminating in Ehe chamber, saicl cap having means for the attachment oft a ja1,

anal a tray having a bo'ttom surface below alle open bot-130m of the nozzle.

5. A bee feecler compns1nga base block having a chambereclfuncl.ersitle which opcns intothe hive m; one encl und the block having an opening from its top into such charaber, 21- cap witl1in such oPening ha.ving a. nozzle terminating in the clmmber, saicl cap having means. -for the attachmentof 2L jar a tray having a bottom sur'face belowthc -open bottom of the noz'zle, und a wire coil clepencling from the nozzle Wlfll adjacent c01ls less than a b'ee space apart.

'6. A bee ieeder compnsmg a'base block und a liquid receptacle, anozzlc passing through the base block ancl stoppecl sho1*t cf the bottom cf the receptacle, und m'eans to vary ehe distance between the bottom'of tl1e receptacle ancl tl1e lower encl of the nozzle.

7..A bee feecler comprising a base block lmving s chamberecl bottom, trays of different length interchzmgeablyusablc w-ith such bot-ton'1, each forming a closure for the bot- "tom ol the base block chzunber, und a vertical nozzle for cleliv'ering liquid to 'the tray havmg 1ts l0wer encl termmat1ng short cf the tray bottom.

In -testinoony whercof l. l1creunto allix my sig1mture.

LEWIS H. ACHENBACH. 

